[2] Infamous Sports Incident Relived in "The Heidi Bowl," Featured in the Upcoming Movie "The Sports Pages" a Paramount Network Television Presentation Premiering On Showtime.

LOS ANGELES--(BW SportsWire)--Nov. 16, 1999--

Film Shows What Might Have Happened 31 Years Ago On a Day In

November That Changed The Face Of Sports Broadcasting

Movie Hosted By FOX-TV Sports Commentator James Brown 

On November 17, 1968, at exactly 7:00 P.M., New York City was in crisis. Its citizens were gripped with panic. What was it that brought this great metropolis to a standstill? Another blackout? A natural disaster? An invading horde? No -- the cause of all the furor was a ten year old girl from the Swiss Alps.

On that particular Sunday, the New York Jets, led by star quarterback Joe Namath, were making their way towards the world championship. Their opposition for that day was the Oakland Raiders, and New Yorkers were glued to their televisions, watching a proverbial nailbiter. With 65 seconds left, and the outcome of the game still very much in question, a network technician switched programming to begin airing the children's classic, "Heidi," leaving thousands of viewers mystified and outraged.

Thirty-one years later, director Richard Benjamin ("My Favorite Year," "Racing With the Moon," "Mermaids," "Made In America") is recreating that infamous event which changed the face of sports broadcasting. "The Heidi Bowl" takes a fictitious look at what might have happened to various people having to cope with this "emergency" situation. "The Heidi Bowl" is one of two stories that comprise THE SPORTS PAGES, a Paramount Network Television presentation, which will premiere on SHOWTIME in 2000. THE SPORTS PAGES is hosted by FOX-TV sports commentator James Brown.

Among the characters caught up in the panic of "The Heidi Bowl" are Melinda (ELLIE HARVIE), a switchboard operator at the network, whose equipment can't handle the influx of calls; her husband Frank (GARY BASARABA), whose casual invitation to have a "few friends" over to watch the game leads to a full scale party; Marvin (JOHN KAPELOS), a bookie whose personal fortunes may just depend on the outcome of the game; Peyton (ZACHARY ANSLEY), the rookie technician who pushed the button and caused the game to disappear; and Mr. White (EUGENE LEVY), the network control room supervisor.

The companion piece to "The Heidi Bowl" is "How Doc Waddems Finally Broke A 100," the story of a man (BOB NEWHART) on trial for the murder of his rule-quoting, by-the-book golf partner (KELSEY GRAMMER).

THE SPORTS PAGES is executive produced by Frank Marshall ("The Sixth Sense," "Alive"), Kathleen Kennedy ("The Sixth Sense," "Alive," "Snow Falling On Cedars," "A Map Of The World") and George Zaloom (HEARTS OF DARKNESS: A FILMMAKER'S APOCALYPSE, "Encino Man"). Jeffrey Lampert produces. "The Heidi Bowl" is an original teleplay by George Zaloom, inspired by actual events. "How Doc Waddems Finally Broke A 100" was adapted by Donald Todd ("Brother's Keeper," "Dave's World") from a short story by 1920s humorist Don Marquis.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Viacom Inc., owns the premium television networks SHOWTIME, THE MOVIE CHANNEL and FLIX. SNI operates and manages the premium television network SUNDANCE CHANNEL, which is owned by SNI, Robert Redford and Universal Studios. SNI also markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis.